


Inspiration

by ani_bester



Category: Invaders (Marvel), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Crossover, First Dance, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-03-24
Packaged: 2017-12-06 07:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/733083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ani_bester/pseuds/ani_bester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a dance hall in London Toro and Bucky are inspired to be open with their attraction because of another man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inspiration

Bucky raced up the stairs of the dance hall, taking them two by two. He'd let himself be distracted by the stunning Japanese woman in an unforgettable red dress. Part of her attraction had been the sheer self confidence she carried herself with. She was British and she wasn't going to let anyone else tell her otherwise. Bucky hadn’t been able to look away from that kind of sexiness, but his efforts to catch her eye had been in vain. 

However, when he turned to bemoan his slim chance with the lady, he realized Toro wasn’t behind him rolling his eyes.   
At first Bucky thought the kid had wondered over to the bar, maybe hoping the uniform added a few years to his face or the bartender felt indulgent. But Toro wasn’t there getting sauced with the other enlistees. He wasn’t outside getting some fresh air; he wasn’t hiding in the shadows along the wall, and he sure wasn’t dancing. And that’s when Bucky had begun to worry. 

He reached the top of the stairs and did a quick scan, debating- if he didn't see Toro in the open- if he should start checking rooms. 

Inwardly, Bucky was rolling his eyes at himself. Toro was 17, not 12, and he'd spent years with a circus. The big blue eyes conveyed an innocent, sheltered boy that really didn't exist, especially if Toro had his back to a wall. Knowing all of that, though, did nothing to ease the worry worming through Bucky’s stomach. 

Bucky did a quick scan up and down the hall. At first, he didn’t see anyone and the worm in his stomach thrashed harder. Then he locked in on the small, still, boyish frame of the missing firebug and the worm dissipated. Toro had moved a rickety chair over to the window and sat on the edge of a faded red cushion. His cheek rested against his palm as he gazed out at the unlit city of London. His brows were drawn together and he frowned slightly at something that had nothing to do with the dismal weather.

"Hey," Bucky called out. He saw Toro start a bit, back going straighter and head moving off his hand. Bucky shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched as he walked over to Toro. "I thought maybe you'd found yourself some action and left me out in the cold, pal."

Toro shifted in the chair enough to glance back at Bucky. A small smile broke through and Toro couldn't quite hold onto the somber expression of seconds before.

"Turn about woulda been fair play, chum."

Bucky smiled with a young man's bluster at the admission of his success with the ladies. "So, what'cha doing here? The dance floor's hopping."

Toro took a deep breath and slumped forward in his seat.

"Honestly, Buck?"

"No, waste my time with lies. Tell me you're up here because this window is a top secret entrance to another dimension and you've been given orders by the Emperor of Ryleh to stand guard."

Toro's lips twitched and he shook his head. "Steve's been telling you his pulp stories again, hasn't he?"

"Totally without my permission too," Bucky laughed. He leaned against the wall and gave Toro a direct look, one that made it clear the previous question had not been forgotten.

Toro tugged at the collar of the unfamiliar uniform for a moment, then undid his tie. He began to try and redo the tie, but after three fumbled attempts, Bucky leaned forward and swatted Toro's hands away and knotted the tie himself.

"I was up here wishing I was braver," Toro muttered.

Bucky blinked at Toro and shook his head. "Toro, you fly head first into Nazi regiments. If you get any braver it's going to cross the line from bravery and into stupidity."

Toro kicked at Bucky. "You should talk."

"So I am talking, and you should listen. You're plenty brave, so what's got you thinking you ain't?"

"Did you see the fella, a Captain I think, who looked a bit like you, only older?"

Bucky shook his head and patted Toro's shoulder. Toro noticed the guys and only the occasional gal the way Bucky noticed the gals and only the occasional guy. And this guy, whoever he was, hadn't been on Bucky's radar.

"He was with that dame you were eyeing all night. The Chinese woman."

"Japanese, she was Japanese, Or I think she was, anyway, yeah ok, I know the fella. What, you want me to go feel him out for you? Maybe we can get a double date out of it."

Toro shook his head back and forth quick enough to whip his short black hair around. "I don't need you to. I saw him dancing with another guy. He just, he just went up and danced with this other fella, kissed him too, simple as that. I wish-" Toro sighed and rested his cheek on his hand again.

"We're shipping out tomorrow," Bucky said.

Toro glanced up at him. "Yeah I know."

"You to the Pacific, me to Germany. So we're separated already. Plus no one here knows who we are, not really. They try and report us and we come up as nobodies. And even if they do catch us out, what are they gonna do? Call in the next kid who can control fire and fly? And Steve's got my back. If I can count on anything in this crummy war, I can count on that."

Toro shifted to face Bucky again. "I don't under-"

Bucky grabbed Toro by the wrist and jerked him out of the chair. Dragging his protesting friend along, Bucky raced back down the stairs, and burst back onto the dance for, Toro still in tow.

"Bu-James, wait."

"I'm feeling brave, how about you?' Bucked asked, pulling Toro against him and beginning to dance.

"Are you crazy," Toro gasped. "We could get there -are MP's somewhere, and-"

"And a lot of stuff. Now shut up and give me that 'only have eyes for you smile'."

Toro flushed. "Big headed jerk," he muttered, beginning to move along with Bucky.  
They made it less than half way through the first song before Toro had cozied up to him and was grinning without a worry to be seen in his bright blue eyes. By the end of the song, Bucky felt an ache building in him and if Toro had been a gal, or things had been different, he'd have kissed Toro deep and rough.

By midway through the second song, giddiness and adrenalin were overriding Bucky's caution and he bent to kiss his fellow Invader, consequences be damned. Before their lips met though, there was a shout, and Bucky looked up to see the military police trying to shove their way through the crowded dance all.

"Run," Bucky shouted face bright with glee. Toro, laughing too hard to look afraid, bolted just behind Bucky, their hands still entwined.

"They're following," Toro shouted, as he shoved Bucky through an exit door.

"Fiery getaway?" Bucky asked, but Toro was already shaking his head.

"Keep running. I ain't breaking the black out."

Bucky calculated how long it would take the MP's to catch up while he looked down the alley and went through their options.

"Can you just light up and burn these?" Bucky asked stripping out of the normal army dress to reveal his regular blue and reds beneath. Not waiting for an answer he shoved the clothes at Toro.

"Light up, dummy," he hissed.

Toro didn't need to be told twice. There was a whoosh and a sudden fierce heat and Toro stood beside him in flames for less than half a second. When the flames dissipated, he stood in his boots and shorts without a trace of either uniform.

"Ok, now-" Toro was cut off as the MP's slammed through the door.

"Ya jerks!" Bucky yelled, facing down the alley, away from the police. "Creezus, show us some danged respect, stupid, lousy-,"

Bucky turned and acted as though he'd just seen the MP's. "Oh, were you after those bozos?"

The two MP's glared back and Bucky, but he kept on smiling. He glanced at Toro, worried he might be giving them away, but Toro had already picked up the con.

"You… you expect us to believe you're Bucky and Toro?" The taller of the two men grunted.

Toro rolled his eyes. "Wow, Buck, we can't catch a break. First some dogfaces nearly run us down, and now we got the military police accusing us of- of what exactly?" he asked, turning to face the two men with wide eyes.

"Prove you're Bucky and Toro."

Bucky scoffed and shook his head. "You think I keep Captain America in one of these pockets?"

Toro waved his hand "I got this, Bucky." With that, he snapped his fingers. Rather than having a small flame light up just above his fingers, as the happened with the carnival trick, fire blazed up Toro's entire arm. The two MP's took a step back.

"Know many people who can do that?" Bucky asked, his voice dripping with more smug delight than he could show in his smirk.

The MP's flushed, and muttered apologies. "Did you, did you see which way the two men ran."

"One went to the left," Bucky told them. "The other to the right. What'd they do anyway. Need our help?"

The taller MP shook his head. "Nothing to bother you two with, Sirs, just a couple of nancy boys." With that, the MP's raced away, one going left the other right.

Bucky counted to 10, then 20 just be safe. Then he turned, caught Toro's eyes, and they both burst out laughing. High on adrenaline, Bucky wrapped his arms around Toro's waits and pulled him close.

"Wanna go somewhere private?"

Toro smirked. "I ain't a Private, but I'd love t go somewhere just us two."

Bucky swatted Toro on the head, then took his hand and began to look for somewhere he and Toro could be alone for awhile.

-End


End file.
